Window structure



Dec. 8, 1964 M. TUCKER 3,159,383

WINDOW STRUCTURE Filed May 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MORTON TUCKER BY Q ATTORNEY 1964 M. TUCKER 3,159,883.

wmoow STRUCTURE Filed y 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MORTON TUCKER BY g q ATTORNEY 1964 M. TUCKER 3,159,883

wmnow STRUCTURE Filed y 18, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. MORTON TUCKER FIG. 8 BY QM Q ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to window construction, and more particularly to a type of window in the frame of which a sash has an up and down sliding movement as well as being capable of being bodily removed from the frame to thereby facilitate its easy washing, or for any other purpose.

It is an object of the invention to provide a window of this kind which can be made of light weight metal such as aluminum; in which the sash is smoothly slidable, and which sash can be readily removed from the frame and replaced therein without requiring the use of tools, other than a screw driver.

It is an object of the invention to provide means by which a sash-balancing device can be coupled toa sliding sash in such a manner as to permit of such device being readily disconnected from the sash when it is desired to remove the sash from within the window frame.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a window frame in which a sash is vertically slidable, and which sash can by slight edgewise movement when in a certain position, be lifted out of the frame; of spring balance means consisting of brackets connected at the ends of the spiral strips and having extensions that underlie the bottom of the sash and disposed in a groove therein, and with slidable keepers provided in said groove in the sash, which keepers engage with the extensions and act to retain the same said bottom groove.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a window constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view through one of the frame side members, showing a portion of the bottom of the sliding sash and the means by which the same is coupled to one of the spring balances;

FIG. 4 is an inverted perspective view of one of the brackets intended for attachment to one of the balances;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one edge portion of the removable sash;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse section taken substantially on line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of clamping means between the brackets and the bottom rail of the sash; and

FIG. 8 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section taken upon a vertical line from the inside of the window.

.The improved window construction is one in which the frame, sash, and associated parts may be made of metal and more particularly of aluminum. The frame of the window is generally indicated at 1 and stationarily mounted therein is an upper sash 2. The lower sash, indicated at 3, is vertically slidable in the frame 1 and is also bodily removable from the frame, as will be explained, for cleaning or for other purposes. The upper frame of sash 2 contains the conventional glass pane 38, while the lower or'movable sash is glazed as shown at 39.

The frame 1 includes vertical side members indicated respectively at 4 and 5 both of which are substantially 3,159,533 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 similar in construction, and the same are connected at the top by the upper rail 6 and at the bottom by the lower rail 7, the latter constituting the sill of the window frame. The upper sash 2 is fixedly mounted in the frame thus formed, said frame being provided with a laterally projecting mounting flange 8 in the known manner.

The two side members 4 and 5 of the window frame are each provided with a channel or groove 9 in which the movable sash 3 is mounted and in which said sash is vertically slidable to bring it to a'raised position as partly shown in FIG. 1 or else to a lowered 'or closed position to thereby close the lower part of the frame 1 below the upper sash 2.

Each of the channels or grooves 9 are extruded to form substantially V-shaped grooves 10 and the connecting web portion of the frame members 4 to either side of the grooves 10 are provided with L-shaped flanges 11 in opposed relation and whereby to constitute a guide groove 12. Mounted in each of the channels or grooves 9 is a cylindrical housing 13, containing the conventional spring balance mechanism for the sliding sash 3. Such mechanism includes a spiral strip member 14 which is extended out of the housing 13 against the bias of spring means contained in the housing, by the descent of the sash 3 to which the ends of these strips 14 are retracted into their housing 13 when the sash is raised. The balance means here illustrated is of conventional construction.

The frame of the sash 3 is composed of channelel aluminum and is of a size as to enable it to be fitted within the window frame 1 by inserting one of its side rails 15 into one of the channels 9 and moving the sash laterally as far as it will go, and this will allow the opposite side rail 15 and the sash to come into the frame 1 and enter the opposite groove 9 thereof. The sash frame is so proportioned that it will enter the opening of the window frame 1 by lateral movement and to have abutting engagement with one of the flanges, preferably the inner flange of the window frame 1 during its operative movement and engagement of the sash 3 will dispose the sash at equal distances into the channels 9.

Each of the sash rails 15 of the sash 3 is provided at the top with a guide bracket 16, attached to the side of the rail by screw 17 and whereby the sash has guiding engagement with respect to the housing 13 and edges to guide the sash 3 in its up and down sliding movement. The guide brackets It; may be composed of nylon or a similar wear-resistant material. It will be understood that when the sash 3 is to be removed from or inserted into the frame 1, its removal and insertion will be done while the sash is in its raised position so that the guide brackets 16 are then located above and Will clear the housings 13 Attached to the lower end of each of the spiral strips 14 is a bracket 18, most clearly shown in FIGURE 4. Each of these brackets is'of substantially U-shape, thus having a pair of spaced side walls 19 and 20, connected by an integral web 21. Part of the web 21 and parts of the side walls 19 and 26) are cut away to form undercut notches 22. in which a cross-pin 23 at the end ofeach spiral strip 14 enters and with which it locks to thereby attach the bracket 13 to the end of the strip 14. These brackets 18 are detachably secured to the bottom of the movable sash 3, thereby becoming effective to couple the balance strips 14 to the sash 3 to provide the required balance therefor. Each bracket 18 is provided with a wearresistant insert 23, which may be composed of nylon or other material of similar characteristics and which is in slidable contact with the inner surface of the channel 9.

Side Walls 19 and 26 are further connected by a web 24, that terminates in a flat lip portion 25 that constitutes the underlying means for the lower sash 3. The frame of the sash 3 includes a lower rail 26 formed with a project ing flange 27 constituting a lifter by which the sash may be easily manually raised or lowered, and said rail is also provided with a lower channel or groove 27. The marginal edges of the rail 26 are flanged inwardly as at 28 and upwardly from theflanges 23, the rail is provided with inwardly directed ribs 29 in spaced relation to the flanges 28 and to form a groove 30 in which a pair of slidable keepers 31 and 32 are located. The keepers 31 and 32 are slidably movable back and forth in the groove 30 and act as retaining members for coupling the brackets 18 to the sash 3. The keeper element 31 is of I-bearn shape and with its flanges having relatively free sliding engagement between the flanges 23 and the ribs 29, while the keeper element 32 overlies, the ribs 29 to be slidable thereon. The keepers 31 and 32 are connected together by a screw 33 having a head 34, that is slotted to'receive a conventional tool, such as a screw driver and whereby the keepers may be clamped together and upon the ribs project beyond the ends of the rail to engage the lips of the brackets 18, such lips adapted to be engaged in an upper channel of the member 31 to its full depth after which, the screw 33 is actuated to clamp the lip 25 and also to prevent movement of the clamp members 31 and 52 so that the frame 3 may be held against movement away from the brackets and to cause the insert 23 to slidably engage the guide 12. The manner in which the brackets 18 are coupled to the sash 3, thereby serving to connect the balance strips 14 to the sash will be apparent from FIGURES 2, 3 and 8. The screw 33 is loosened and the keepers shifted along the channel 39 to engage the lip 25 and whereby the lip will be engaged within the upper channel of the member 31. The keepers are shifted in a direction toward the brackets 18 to a point where the leading end of the keeper 31 has contacting engagement with the edge portion of the brackets 18 in which position, the screw 33 is again tightened, locking the keepers 31 and 32 in position for preventing displacement or movement of the brackets 18 away from the sash frame. The web portion of the keeper element 31 thus underlies the brackets 18 and prevents downward movement of the brackets 18 while the lip 25 prevents upward movement of the brackets due to its engagement with the ribs 29. The brackets 18 are thus held in definite connection with respect to the sash and with the inserts 23' being guidably held in the groove 12. With both sides of the sash connected to its respective brackets 18, the sash is now in a balanced position to be shifted upwardly and downwardly in the channels 9 and with the inserts having the frictional guiding engagement in the grooves 12. To further guidethe sash, in its vertical movement, additional notched brackets 35 are connected :0 the opposite sides of the sash frame to accurately guide :he sash with respect to the housings 13.

The foregoing, the structure and operation-of the int: Jroved window will be readily understood. The removable sash 3 is inserted in the frame 1 in the manner deicribed herein, namely, by first inserting one side rail of he sash in the channel 9 in one of the vertical side memers of the frame ll, pushing the sash sidewise until the iecond side rail of the sash will enter the second side nember of the frame and then sliding the sash downvardly in the frame. As the sash is slid downwardly, its ower end will contact the projecting tongues 25 of the )rackets 18 and these tongues will then be disposed in the :hannel 30 of the lower rail 26. When the window is n a balanced position, the keepers are shifted outwardly, :ausing the keeper member 31 to underride the lip 25 1nd a continued movement of the member 31 and its :lamping member 32 will fully underlie the brackets 18. Fhe keepers 31 and 32 are then firmly clamped in their 'espective channels and upon the ribs 29 by the screw 33 1nd, since the keepers are in abutting engagement with the vall section 15 of the sash and also with the insert 23 already disposed in the grooves 12, it will be apparent that a positiveconnection is made between the sash and the keepers which have already been assembled with respect to the balance strips 14. With this connection made upon both sides of the window, it will be apparent that the window cannot disengage the lip 25 in either the up or down movement. The lips 25 are relatively narrower in width than the flanges 38 of the rail 26 so that, when the keepers are released and shifted inwardly toward each other, the sash is free to be moved without respect to the balance mechanism and, when the sash is elevated a sufiicient distance, the sash can be shifted first to one side and causing the opposite side to be released through the opening of the frame 1 and then again shifted laterally so as to disengage the sash frame from the frame 1. The groove 19 in the framemembers 4 is provided to function to relieve the guides 12 of any accumulation of dust, grit or other elements that may be blown into the window structure so as to prolong the life of the inserts 23' such being necessary in areas where gritty substances may get into the guides for the inserts 23. The sash 3 may be provided with weather stripping 36 to relatively seal the sash and the channel 9 against the entry of dust or sand particles.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel structure has been provided for the removable mounting for slidable sash and to permit the sash to be frictionally guided by the inserts 23' and under enough of the balance mechanism 13. The structure is simple, is strong, durable, relatively cheap to manufacture and is highly effective as a means to mount slidable sash in a rigid frame in a manner so that the sash can be bodily removed from the sash and from the supporting brackets with a minimum of effort.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the sub: joined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A window construction comprising, a window frame, said frame having side members provided with channels, a sash slidable in said chanels, said sash having a bottom, spring balances mounted in the channels, each of said balances including an extensible member for coupling to the bottom of the sash, a bracket attached to the bottom of each of the extensible members, each bracket having a lip, the bottom of the sash being grooved, the lip being disposed in the groove of the sash, with keepers carried by the sash and being movable in the groove to locate them in a position to underlie the lips and whereby the lips are retained in the groove to contact the keepers and the bottom of the sash, said keepers being shiftable in the groove to'move them from their underlying relation to the lips and thus free the sash from the brackets, the groove of the sash being downwardly opening, the groove at its open end being provided with inwardly directed flanges, the groove above the flanges having i11- wardly directed ribs, the said keepers each including a lower slide of I-beam shape that has traverse engagement between the flanges and the ribs and a clamping plate overlying the ribs and connected to the channel member by a clamping screw, the said keepers adapted to be shifted through the groove and with the channel member adapted to extend outwardly. beyond the ends of the sash to underlie the said lips and to engage the said brackets, the keepers adapted to be fixed in extended position for engaging the brackets by the clamping engagement between the scrcw and the plate.

2. A window construction comprising a frame, a sash slidable up and down in the frame and said sash having top and bottom horizontal rails and vertical stiles, a pair of spring balances in the frame disposed between the sides of the sash and the side members of the frame, the sash having guide elements engaging and guided by said bals 5, ances, each of the balances including a spring-biased extensible strip, a bracket at the lower end of the strip, said bracket including a lip extending under the lower end of the sash, and means carried by the sash and adjustable in the bottom rail of the sash for engaging over the lip portion to thereby couple the bracket to the sash, said means being shiftable on the sash to free it from the bracket and permit movement of the bracket relatively to the sash.

3. A window construction comprising, a frame, a sash having top and bottom horizontal rails and vertical stiles slidable up and down in the frame and being capable of removal from the upper part of the frame, a pair of spring balances located in the frame between the sides of the sash and the inner sides of side members of the frame, the sash having guide elements on its opposite edges engaging and guided by said balances, each of the balances including a spring-biased extensible, spiral strip, a U- shaped bracket at the lower end of each sash stile, said bracket including a lip portion extending into the lower horizontal rail of the sash, the sash having a bottom groove in which said lip portion extends, and a slide carried by the sash movable in said groove and slidable into the lower horizontal rail of the sash for engaging said lip portion to thereby couple the bracket to the sash, the

slide being disengageable from the lip by movement of the a slide along the bottom of the sash.

4. A window construction comprising, a window frame having side members provided with channels, each of the channels defined by outer walls and inner walls and a connecting bottom, the bottom being provided with a V- shaped groove and inwardly extending flanges to form a guide, a sash having a bottom slidable in the channels, spring balances being mounted in each channel, each of the balances including an extensible member for coupling to the bottom of the sash, a bracket attached to the bottom of each of the extensible members, each of said brackets being U-shaped to provide it with spaced walls, the extensible member being provided at its lower end with a cross pin, the walls of the bracket having notches with which said cross pin engages, the bottom of the sash being grooved and each of the brackets having an extension engaging one of the grooves, keepers carried by the sash and slidable in the grooves and engaging the extensions to thereby connect the brackets to the sash, each of the brackets carrying a fixed nonmetallic pad having anti-frictional engagement with the guide when the sash is lowered or raised, the said V-shaped groove receiving and conveying away foreign matter that accumulates in the guide.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,535,977 4/25 Worosilia 2052 2,329,463 9/43 Froelich 2052 2,952,048 9/60 Graham 2052.2 3,022,547 2/62 Stegley et a1. 2052.2 3,086,259 4/ 63 Klein 2052.2

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

NORTON ANSHER, CHARLESE. OCONNELL,

Examiners. 

2. A WINDOW CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A FRAME, A SASH SLIDABLE UP AND DOWN IN THE FRAME AND SAID SASH HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM HORIZONTAL RAILS AND VERTICAL STILES, A PAIR OF SPRING BALANCES IN THE FRAME DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE SASH AND THE SIDE MEMBERS OF THE FRAME, THE SASH HAVING GUIDE ELEMENTS ENGAGING AND GUIDED BY SAID BALANCES, EACH OF THE BALANCES INCLUDING A SPRING-BIASED EXTENSIBLE STRIP, A BRACKET AT THE LOWER END OF THE STRIP, SAID BRACKET INCLUDING A LIP EXTENDING UNDER THE LOWER END OF THE SASH, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE SASH AND ADJUSTABLE IN THE BOTTOM RAIL OF THE SASH FOR ENGAGING OVER THE LIP PORTION TO THEREBY COUPLE THE BRACKET TO THE SASH, SAID MEANS BEING SHIFTABLE ON THE SASH TO FREE IT FROM THE BRACKET AND PERMIT MOVEMENT OF THE BRACKET RELATIVELY TO THE SASH. 